Defining Moments
by Wildz2728
Summary: Life is made up of defining moments. For a Hogwarts student, perhaps the most important moment is their Sorting. Their house helps shape who they are, and who they will become. How much of Lily L. Potter is molded by her house? One choice, and two different paths. Lily's life as a Slytherin, versus her life as a Gryffindor.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I'm back, and trying out writing fanfiction for a fandom I have never written for before. I am fascinated by the next generation children, since they are essentially blank slates, and fanfiction writers can decide what they will be like. Lily Luna Potter is my favorite next gen kid, and I want to explore the two different Houses I feel she would most likely be in. Slytherin!Lily is my favorite, but I admit that I think she would also likely be in Gryffindor. So, that's how this happened! Alright, I'll let you read and continue this A/N at the end of the prologue.**

**Prologue**

Lily Potter couldn't sleep the night before September 1st. She tossed and turned in her bed as she imagined what the next day would bring. She finally managed to fall asleep at around 2 am, but the sleep only lasted for about four hours. When she woke up, she saw it was barely starting to get light outside. She narrowed her eyes at the clock that was showing it was only 6 am. She briefly considered trying to go back to sleep, but she quickly dismissed that thought. She knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. After all, today was the day she was finally going to Hogwarts! After years of having to watch all her siblings and cousins board the Hogwarts Express, she would finally get to go with them.

The red-haired girl hurriedly threw on a muggle outfit to wear to the station. She could just change into her robes after she boarded the train. She pulled on a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Lily had been glad when her mom had let her start choosing her own outfits. No more pink shirts or frilly skirts for her! After dressing, she brushed the tangles out of her hair. She sometimes missed having it short, because it had been simpler to care for. The longer it got, the wavier it got. Still, at least she didn't have Rose's wild mass of curls. It took her cousin ages to brush her hair.

With that done, Lily decided to make sure that she had all of her school supplies. She opened up her trunk and saw her schoolbooks were there. Her robes were there as well. She had a cauldron and ingredients as required. Most importantly, Lily had her wand. It was 10 ½ inches, ivy, with a phoenix feather core. The second it had first touched her hand she had known that she was its witch. She couldn't wait to learn how to properly use it.

As for a pet, she had decided to get an owl. They were very useful, and she thought that they were very beautiful. She had chosen a male barn own, and had named him Nyroc. All in all, she was completely prepared.

By 8 am, her whole family was awake. Her dad made sure that they were all prepared, while her mum cooked them breakfast. They sat down together at the table, and Lily listened to her brothers chatter about Hogwarts while scarfing down food. Lily usually was able to eat as much as them, but today she only managed to eat a piece of toast and nibble on some bacon.

Soon they were finally out the door and on their way to King's Cross station. It didn't take long, for before she knew it, they were at King's Cross Station. Lily's parents helped her unload her trunk and owl into a trolley. She watched her brothers both run through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. She took a moment to gather herself. It was weird to think that this time, once she crossed the barrier, she wouldn't come back through until the start of summer.

Lily felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at her father. "Are you ready, Lil?" he asked her. He gave her an encouraging smile, and she smiled back at him. She always felt safe when she was with her father. She supposed it had something to do with the fact that he was the Wizarding World's hero, and an auror. But to her he was just her dad.

She and her dad went through the barrier together. She smiled when she was greeted with the sight of the Hogwarts Express. She was sure that it had never been that beautiful before.

"Lily!"

Lily looked around, trying to find the source of the familiar voice. A grin lit up her face when she saw Hugo standing with his parents. She left her dad behind as she ran over to her favorite cousin. She skidded to a halt and barely managed to keep her trolley from hitting him.

"Hi, Hugo!" Lily cheerfully greeted him. She looked past him, and beamed at her aunt and uncle. "Hi Uncle Ron, hi Aunt Hermione."

"Hey there, Lils," Uncle Ron said, ruffling her hair. She scowled at him and tried to fix it with her hands.

"Hello, Lily," Aunt Hermione said with an amused smile. "Are you all ready for Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, I am. I made sure this morning that I have everything prepared," Lily answered to her approving aunt.

"I wish Hugo could be that prepared," Aunt Hermione responded. Hugo rolled his eyes.

"Mum, dad, we gotta go," Hugo said in an attempt to stop the conversation. Lily's mum and dad finally came over to their little group. She assumed they had been saying goodbye to James and Al.

"We're going to miss you, Lily," her mum said. Lily felt a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving her parents alone. It would be strange for them not to have any kids around. But maybe they would enjoy getting time away from their kids.

"I'll miss you guys, too," Lily admitted. She really would. She loved her parents very much. But her desire to be at Hogwarts far outweighed her nerves at leaving her parents, so she felt no doubts or regrets.

She and Hugo both patiently let themselves be hugged and kissed and fussed over by their parents. They finally managed to say their goodbyes, and they boarded the train. They searched the compartments, and found one with James, Fred, Rose, and Al. The older kids beckoned them inside the compartment, and Lily and Hugo squeezed in. It was a bit crowded with six of them, but it wasn't that bad.

Lily looked out the window and waved at her parents. She watched them get smaller and smaller as the train left the station. After that, she turned her attention to the conversations going on around her. James and Fred were complaining that they would have to take OWLs this year. Rose and Al were boasting about finally getting to go to Hogsmeade. Then the conversation turned to the two first years.

"So, what houses do you reckon they'll be in?" Fred asked.

"Gryffindor, duh. We all end up there," James answered in a bored tone. Rose rolled her brown eyes at James. Lily could sense that Rose was about to correct him on what he'd said.

"Victoire was in Hufflepuff," Rose began in a matter-of-fact tone. "Lucy is in Hufflepuff, and Dominique is in Ravenclaw. So, Hugo and Lily aren't guaranteed to be in Gryffindor."

James scowled at her, and Lily prepared for an argument to start. Al quickly added in his own opinion, in order to stop the fight before it started. "Well, Lily and Hugo both seem pretty Gryffindor. Besides, I have a feeling that if they really want to be there, that's where they will end up."

"What do you mean?" James asked, his annoyance with Rose completely forgotten.

Al just shrugged, and didn't offer up any explanation to his statement. Lily wondered what he knew that they didn't. Did their desires really factor into the Sorting? That was an interesting thought.

"I dunno, Lil's smart. She could end up in Ravenclaw with Dom," Fred suggested.

Lily sighed. She was beginning to feel annoyed that she and Hugo were being discussed while they were sitting right there. Rose must have heard her, because she turned her attention to Lily.

"Lily, what house do you think you'll be in?" Rose asked her.

Lily opened her mouth to say Gryffindor. After all, she had always imagined that she would end up there, and she thought that was what she wanted. Her parents and grandparents were Gryffindor, and most of her aunts and uncles. So she thought she would naturally end up there. But then some of her cousins had started ending up in different houses, so now she had to wonder. Did she belong in Gryffindor? Did she want to be in Gryffindor? Now she found herself at a loss as to what she should say to Rose. Luckily, she was saved from having to answer by the lady with the candy trolley knocking on their compartment door.

The kids all bought plenty of yummy snacks, and their previous conversation was completely forgotten. After a while, James and Fred got bored of hanging out with their younger siblings and cousins, and the two trouble-makers went off to find the other boys in their year.

At one point, the doors to their compartment opened and revealed a trio of students wearing robes lined with green. The apparent leader of the group was a pale boy with messy blonde hair, and intense grey eyes. His eyes briefly shone with curiosity when they landed on Lily, but then his face turned into a sneer when his eyes landed on Al and Rose.

"Well, look who it is. The stuck-up Weasley, and the wanna-be James," the boy said with a smirk. His friends all looked at them with equally amused looks. Al looked furious at the boy's words.

"Shut up, Malfoy! What are you doing here, anyway?" Al demanded. Lily felt a sense of understanding. This was the infamous Scorpius Malfoy, who her brothers both hated. She looked at him with renewed interest, wanting to see what it was about him that was so bad. His words weren't kind, but not the most harsh words either. Al's voice was far more aggressive than Malfoy's.

"We heard the youngest Potter was finally going to grace Hogwarts with her presence," Malfoy answered. His stormy eyes once again landed on Lily. His face was void of any negative emotion when he looked at her. Was he waiting to form an opinion on her until he knew her?

"Yes, I am. So kind of you to be my welcoming party," Lily said, keeping her voice calm and showing only the tiniest hint of amusement.

"Lily, don't talk to him!" Rose ordered fiercely. "He's a no good jerk. He isn't worth your time." Lily tilted her head to the side slightly, wondering why Rose expected her to hate someone without knowing them. Wasn't that sort of attitude the same that Draco Malfoy had had back when he tried to steer her father away from Uncle Ron?

"What, can't let the girl make her own decisions? Typical bossy Weasley," a tall girl with dirty blond hair said.

"Sod off, Avery," Al sneered. The girl rolled her eyes, but Scorpius looked a bit annoyed now.

"Don't talk to her like that, Potter," Scorpius demanded.

"What, is she your girlfriend?" Al sneered. Now it was apparently Scorpius' turn to roll his eyes.

"Don't be stupid. She's like a sister to me. You wouldn't like it if I was rude to your sister, would you?" Scorpius explained in a voice that one would use to talk to a small child.

"Come on, Scor, we're wasting our time here. Obviously we're not allowed to have a conversation with new Hogwarts students," a boy with brown hair said.

"Guess you're right, Byron," Scorpius said, once again sounding bored. "Catch you later, little Potter."

Lily watched the trio leave the compartment. That had been an interesting encounter. She wasn't sure what she had expected Scorpius Malfoy to be like, but it definitely wasn't that. He was unnecessarily rude to her brother and cousin, but they were just as bad towards him and his friends. She wondered how this enmity had even started. She had never gotten the story of how it happened.

"I hate him so much," Al complained. Rose gave him a sympathetic look.

"Don't let him get to you, Al. You're so much better than him," Rose encouraged.

"Yeah, he seems like a jerk. He didn't even act like I existed," Hugo said with a scowl. It was true, Lily realized. He had verbally sparred with Al and Rose, and had spoken to Lily, but hadn't said a word to Hugo.

"He is. You both need to stay away from him. Stay away from all the Slytherins, if you can help it," Rose encouraged. Lily wondered if all Slytherins could really be that bad. After all, these kids couldn't help who their parents were or what their parents had done. A lot of their parents had been forced into it by their own parents, or were too scared to oppose Voldemort. Surely these innocent kids couldn't be blamed for the mistakes of their parents. Lily had a feeling if she said any of this it would just cause problems between her and her cousins and brothers, so she kept her mouth shut.

Rose kicked the boys out of the compartment so she and Lily could change into their robes. Lily got into the solid black robes and wondered what color would end up lining them. A brief image of her with green-lined robes popped into her head, but she pushed it out. That idea was just ridiculous. She would end up in Gryffindor, and if not, then maybe Ravenclaw. She couldn't be a Slytherin, though. Her family would never forgive her!

The train finally arrived, and Hugo and Lily broke away from their siblings in order to go with the other first years to the boats. Lily smiled when she saw Hagrid. She and Hugo both stopped to say hello to him, and then they got into a boat. They were joined by two different girls they didn't know.

"Hey, I'm Hugo," her cousin broke the silence.

"I'm his cousin, Lily," Lily added.

"My name is Rose," one girl, with raven hair, said. Lily and Hugo exchanged an amused look.

"My sister's name is Rose," Hugo said with a smile. He turned to the other girl, who had slightly curly brown hair.

"I'm Kaira," she said. Her blue eyes had that wide-eyed disbelief that showed that she was likely muggle-born. She gasped as the boats started moving by themselves. She seemed nervous but also very excited. "I still can't believe this is happening."

"Are your parents muggles?" Hugo asked. Kaira nodded.

"What about you, Rose?" Lily asked the other girl.

"My parents are both wizards, but my father is only the second generation in his family to be a wizard. So I'm sort of a half-blood, I guess," Rose answered.

The boats arrived at the shore, and the students all eagerly drank in the sight of Hogwarts. Lily couldn't believe how amazing it was. The pictures she had seen, and the descriptions from family members, truly did not do it justice. She was filled with a desire to explore every inch of the castle.

The children were shepherded into the castle. Lily could hear snippets of different conversations as students tried to figure out how the Sorting worked. She already knew, but she wouldn't say anything unless she was asked.

Uncle Neville, or Professor Longbottom as she would now have to call him, came into the room the students were waiting in. Lily listened as he explained the purpose of houses to them. She looked around, and saw that some kids seemed confident, some seemed unsure, and some seemed downright terrified. She wondered what her expression looked like, and she worked to try and make it seem calm.

Finally, Professor Longbottom led them into the Great Hall. Lily immediately looked up at the ceiling, and felt appreciation at the complex charm that allowed the ceiling to reflect the weather outside. She loved the look of shock of some people's faces. She saw that Kaira looked amazed. Then Lily scanned the four tables, and saw all the talking students. Many of them were watching the first years. Finally, her gaze landed on the Sorting Hat.

The Sorting Hat sang its song, and then Professor Longbottom pulled out a list of names. The Great Hall was mostly silent, as everyone was interested to see who would be joining their house.

"Avery, Alana."

Lily watched a slightly nervous looking girl with light brown hair go up to the stool. She sat down, and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. After a moment, it declared "SLYTHERIN", and Alana happily hopped down from the stool after removing the hat, and she walked to the cheering table of students. Lily watched as students were sorted into the four houses. Kaira Bennett got sent to Gryffindor. Finally, she heard: "Potter, Lily". The students that had been quietly talking all fell quiet, and Lily saw that all attention was on her.

She tried to keep her face blank as she approached the stool. She sat down on it, and tried not to pay attention to the hundreds of eyes that were focused on her. The hat was placed on her head, and Lily waited to hear a house name get shouted.

"Ah, the last of the Potter children. Where to put you? Gryffindor would seem the obvious choice, and it definitely would suit you," the hat's voice was spoken inside her head. Lily shivered, and wondered why the hat hadn't immediately placed her in Gryffindor.

"You see, Miss Potter, you are equally suited for both Gryffindor, and Slytherin. You undoubtedly have courage. But you've also been in the shadow of all your family members. You, the baby of the family, want to stand out and be different. You haven't fully acknowledged this desire, but you know it's there," the hat told her. So now what would happen? "That depends on you. Wherever you most want to go is where you belong."

Lily was feeling a bit panicked. People were starting to whisper, since a name hadn't been shouted right away. A few other students had taken a while, but everyone had expected a Potter to go to Gryffindor. She saw the expectant faces of her brothers, and she didn't know what to do. She knew she would love Gryffindor, and fit in there well. She would be with her family, and she would always be sure of her place. But, at the same time, she felt a certain draw towards Slytherin. None of her cousins or siblings had been sorted there. She would be the first, and she could make herself known for being Lily, and not for being a Potter.

Lily shut her eyes, and came to a conclusion. She knew where she wanted to go.

"Very well, then. It'll be…."

**A/N: And this is where the prologue comes to an end! The way this fanfiction will work is I will alternate between Lily in Gryffindor, and Lily in Slytherin. So, even chapters could be Slytherin and odd chapters could be Gryffindor, and vice versa. It depends on you, the readers. I want you to tell me which you want to see first, Gryffindor or Slytherin.**

**Also, I might as well say now: this fanfiction will likely contain gay characters. Not Lily, but other characters. I won't ignore the fact that there would likely be at least a couple gay kids at Hogwarts. If you're homophobic or uncomfortable with the idea of a character being gay, then this might not be the fic for you. If you don't mind, then read on!**

**So, please review! I'm new to writing Harry Potter, so I need all the help I can get. I also might be interested in having a beta reader, preferably someone who is very knowledgeable about HP? If you're interested, please PM me. Thanks!**


	2. Gryffindor Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's the first chapter! I decided to do Gryffindor first, since nobody reviewed and told me their preference. I now have a beta for this fanfiction, xHetaliax, and this chapter was beta'd by her. :D So I give my thanks to her. **

**Gryffindor: Chapter 1**

"Very well, then," the hat said within Lily's mind. "It'll be… GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily removed the hat from her head and set it carefully on the stool. She then turned to face the four tables, and began walking towards the cheering Gryffindors. They cheered more loudly for her than they had for any of their other new members. The other tables clapped politely, with the exception of Slytherin. She glanced at that table, and caught Scorpius Malfoy's eye. He nodded at her, with his face carefully blank. However, she thought she saw the faintest hint of disappointment.

She tore her eyes away from him and took a seat at the table next to Kaira. The other girl smiled at her, and Lily smiled back. She saw her brothers both looked proud, and all her Gryffindor cousins seemed pleased. Lily hoped that she had made the right decision. She knew there was no going back now, so she would have to stop thinking about Slytherin. Besides, she felt happy here, surrounded by her family.

Across from Lily was a friend of her's, Belle Longbottom. Belle seemed really happy that Lily had been sorted into Gryffindor. Belle's older sister, Anna, was a Hufflepuff, so Lily knew Belle might be nervous about not being with her older sister. Having a friend with her must be relieving.

After Lily, Gryffindor gained Jasmine Reed and Ellie Thomas. Lily had met Ellie once before, and she knew that their fathers had been friends. Plus, James was friends with Ellie's brother Adam. Lily didn't know Jasmine, though. Soon, there were only three more kids left to be sorted: Rose, Hugo, and a boy she didn't recognize. Lily had assumed that Hugo would be last, but apparently the other two had last names that were at the end of the alphabet. Hugo's name was called, and the hat barely touched his head before declaring him to be "GRYFFINDOR". Lily cheered loudly for her cousin, and made room for him to sit next to her. He seemed very pleased to be in Gryffindor.

Rose, whose last name was apparently Wilde, got sorted into Slytherin. Lily watched the girl go to the Slytherin table, and wondered if she and Rose would have become friends if Lily had picked Slytherin. She supposed they could still be friends, but she knew the house rivalry would likely prevent that from happening. She chose not to dwell on it; after all, she already knew the people in Gryffindor and would have plenty of friends. The last person sorted was Gilbert Zabini, and he went to Slytherin.

The Headmaster, Kingsley Shacklebolt, stood up once the Sorting was over. He had been Minister of Magic for many years after the war had ended, and he had made many changes to the Ministry. Once he had cleaned it up and reformed it, he stepped down and chose to work at Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He had been appointed as Deputy Headmaster, since he had experience with leading. He became the Headmaster three years ago.

Everyone started to quiet down when Professor Shacklebolt rose from his seat. The ones still talking quickly shut up when he raised his arm for silence.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts," the professor said in his slow, soothing voice. "To those of you who are new here, there are a few things you need to know: the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to students, as its name suggests; and there are certain products that are not

allowed at Hogwarts. A list of said products can be found hanging from the door of our caretaker, Mr. Filch. You will receive your schedules tomorrow. If you have any questions, you can ask your Prefects, who can be identified by their badges. Now, it is time to enjoy your feast." He smiled at the students, and once he reclaimed his seat, food appeared on the table.

Lily's eyes widened at the mass of food displayed on the table. Her brothers really hadn't been kidding when they had described the Welcoming Feast to her. She found that her normal appetite had returned to her, so she piled food onto her plate. She gladly dug into her meal, as did the other students.

Once people's stomachs began to fill, conversations were once again struck up.

"What's in the Forbidden Forest that makes it forbidden?" Jasmine, one of the first years, asked. Lily surmised that she was muggle-born, just like Kaira.

"Oh, there's loads of dangerous stuff!" Hugo said, with his mouth still half-full with food. Lily wrinkled her nose at his lack of manners.

"Hugo, swallow your food before speaking!" Rose, who was sitting not too far from them, scolded her brother. His face reddened slightly due to his older sister scolding him in front of everyone. Lily marveled at Rose's ability to always catch Hugo when he was doing something she wouldn't approve of.

"What are the dangerous things in there?" Kaira asked quickly. Hugo's embarrassment was forgotten as he began describing all the things they had heard about from the stories their parents had told them. Kaira and Jasmine's eyes widened when he described the nest of giant spiders. Even Ellie Thomas seemed surprised.

"I heard that James Potter and his friends went in there on a dare," Clint Grayson, another new student, said.

"Where'd you hear that from?" Hugo asked. Apparently he had never heard about this. Lily hadn't, either.

"My older sister is friends with him. They're both on the Quidditch team," Clint responded. Lily couldn't help but wonder what other things James had done that she didn't know about.

"Who dared him?" Lily asked.

"Scorpius Malfoy and some other Slytherins, I think," Clint said, sounding a bit unsure. The rivalry between her brothers and Scorpius was more intense than Lily would have thought. She apparently had a lot to learn about what went on here at Hogwarts. She was not nearly as prepared as she had thought. Still, the thought didn't really upset her. She felt excited to see what would happen during her time here.

Lily once again saw surprise on the faces of fellow students when the main courses disappeared, and dessert appeared in its place. The red-haired girl gave the desserts a skeptical look. She felt completely full from all the food, but she supposed she could have a bit of dessert. She helped herself to some mint

chocolate chip ice cream. Hugo made a face at her, and reached for the chocolate ice cream, which he always insisted was much better than mint chocolate chip.

Soon the desserts were cleared away as well, and everyone looked up at the Headmaster. "Before you all go off to bed, I must ask you to partake in the Hogwarts tradition of singing the school song," Shacklebolt said.

Lily raised an eyebrow as she saw the lyrics appear in the air for everyone to read. She couldn't help but wonder who came up with the school song. Still, it seemed to fit the school well enough. She picked a random tune and sang the song. James and Fred both sang obnoxiously loud, and she saw they had a few annoyed looks thrown at them. They either didn't notice or didn't care, as they kept singing loudly and off-key. She was relieved when the song ended and she didn't have to listen to the screeching any longer. She and Belle exchanged amused looks.

"Hey, firsties! Follow me and the lovely Ciara, alright?" a boy that Lily recognized as Adam Thomas said as he left his friends. He had a Prefect badge pinned to his robes. He was being followed by another Prefect, presumably Ciara. She didn't look amused at his words.

"Please, children, just ignore everything he says. I don't know how he was even made a Prefect, but there wasn't much to choose from," Ciara said, casting a look at Fred and James, two of the other 5th year Gryffindor boys.

Lily had been kind of surprised when James hadn't been made Prefect. Weasleys had a habit of being picked as Prefects, and she had thought that him being the son of Harry Potter would be enough for him to be chosen. But apparently even the Potter name wasn't enough to let Shacklebolt overlook all his faults and trouble-making tendencies. Lily was pretty sure Al would be one in a couple of years, though.

Lily and the other first years followed the Prefects to the Gryffindor common room. She inspected the painting of the fat lady, and almost didn't hear the password spoken because she wasn't paying attention.

"Quidditch," Ciara spoke to the portrait.

"I got to pick the password," Adam said proudly. Ciara rolled her eyes at him.

"Yes, so clever, picking your obsession as your password," Ciara said with a sigh. Lily wondered if they were ever going to go inside of the common room.

"Nah, it's just a passion. My obsession would be you," Adam responded with a confident smirk. Ciara looked unimpressed. Lily would feel bad for Adam, except his overconfidence reminded her too much of James, and James was pretty annoying. So instead she chose to feel bad for Ciara.

"Adam, just shut up and let us go inside," Ellie Thomas demanded. A few of the kids snickered, and Adam scowled at his little sister. Before he could respond, Ciara shoved him through the portrait hole. "Hm, I like her," Ellie said. She seemed gleeful at the idea that her older brother got pushed around by a

girl all the time. Lily would likely act the same in that situation. She wondered how girls acted towards her brother.

The first years finally entered the common room. It was just how Lily had heard it described by various Gryffindor family members. It had a warm, homey feeling to it. The color red was naturally prevalent throughout the common room. Lily wasn't sure how to feel about her new House colours. She had been surrounded by a sea of red her whole life, and now she was stuck with red decorations everywhere. Sure, she liked the color, since it was her hair color after all. But that didn't mean she wanted to see it everywhere.

"Welcome to Gryffindor," Ciara addressed the first years. "The boys dormitories are on the left, and the girls on the right. Just to warn you, boys can't go up the staircase to the girl's dormitories. Certain people have had to learn the hard way."

Adam snorted and muttered what sounded like James. Lily decided she really did not want to know. She just hoped he was treating girls right, because if he wasn't… she didn't want to think what her mother would do to him.

"Also, as you were told earlier, you can both earn and lose points for our house. Please try to earn them, and don't do anything stupid enough to lose any," Ciara begged them. "It's a miracle we won the house cup last year, considering how many points James and Fred lost us."

"Yeah, what she said. More importantly, make sure you show your support for our Quidditch team. Actually, if any of you are good at it, you should watch this year's tryouts so you know what to prepare for if you want to try out next year," Adam said. His eyes landed on Lily. "James said you're a good flyer, so you definitely should watch the tryouts."

Lily was surprised that her brother had even thought to talk about her with his friends. She and him weren't really close, they hadn't been for years. But apparently he paid enough attention to her to know she could fly.

"Alright, I'll be there," Lily agreed. Maybe she could try out next year. She preferred playing Seeker, but since Al already had that position she would have to settle for Chaser.

"Okay, enough about Quidditch. Back to things that are actually important," Ciara cut in. "If you have questions, you can ask us. Well, ask me, not him. Unless you want to know about Quidditch, I guess."

"Oh, quick warning. Slytherins are evil, so stay away from them, especially Malfoy and his gang. If any of you have older siblings, you'll be more likely to be targets," Adam said, with a pointed look at Lily. She sighed, and wished that people didn't take this House rivalry so seriously.

For once, Ciara didn't disagree with Adam. She actually nodded in agreement with his statement. "Well, with that happy note, off to bed," she told the first years.

Lily and the other girls broke off from the boys and headed up the staircase on the right. They passed the rooms until they saw the one labelled for first years. They went inside, and Lily saw that her trunk was next to the bed across from the door. She changed into her pajamas, and climbed onto the comfortable bed.

After the long day she'd had, it was no wonder that she fell asleep quickly. Her last thought before falling asleep was wondering what the next day would bring.

Lily and the other girls broke off from the boys and headed up the staircase on the right. They passed the rooms until they saw the one labelled for first years. They went inside, and Lily saw that her trunk was next to the bed across from the door. She changed into her pajamas, and climbed onto the comfortable bed.

After the long day she'd had, it was no wonder that she fell asleep quickly. Her last thought before falling asleep was wondering what the next day would bring.

**A/N: Please review! Next up is the first Slytherin chapter.**


	3. Slytherin Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's the first Slytherin chapter! It was fun to write, since Slytherin!Lily is my favorite. Although, Gryffindor!Lily is growing on me… **

**Once again, I give credit to xHetaliax for beta'ing this fanfiction! :D**

**Slytherin: Chapter 1**

"Very well, then," Lily heard the hat speak into her mind. "It'll be… SLYTHERIN!"

Silence. Lily stared for a moment at the shocked faces of the Hogwarts students. She was kind of shocked herself. She really hadn't thought she would have it in her to choose Slytherin. But she had, and now she would have to deal with any repercussions of this choice. She slid off the stool and gently set the hat on it. Before she could take a step towards her new House table, James seemed to finally regain his voice.

"No! There's a mistake! My baby sister isn't a Slytherin!" James yelled. Once again there was silence for a moment, but then there was yelling.

"Yeah! Lil's a Gryffindor for sure!" Fred agreed loudly. Other students voiced their agreement. Lily looked at the Slytherins to see what they would say. She really hoped that her House would accept her, otherwise it was going to be a long seven years.

"Shut up, Potter! The hat gave her to us!" a Slytherin boy yelled. "We've got our own Potter!"

Other Slytherins began to echo similar sentiments. Not all of them did, but many seemed excited to have her in their House. She started walking to the table, and a lot of them started cheering for her. Some of them gave her wary looks, but others welcomed her with smiles.

Lily took a seat at the table next to the other first years. They gave her curious looks, and she struggled to keep her apprehension from showing. She looked back up at the Sorting so she had an excuse not to talk. She needed time to gather her thoughts and feelings. She watched as Hugo was sorted to Gryffindor, and saw the hurt look he sent her as he walked to the table he had expected her to be at. Then, Rose Wilde was sorted into Slytherin. She looked indifferent as she walked over to the table and sat down next to Lily. The last person sorted was Gilbert Zabini, also into Slytherin.

"So we meet again," Rose commented. "I would've thought you'd be over there, though." She gestured towards the Gryffindor table. Lily didn't follow her glance, as she couldn't stand the thought of meeting the faces of her brothers and cousins.

"Yeah, you and everyone else," Lily responded.

"Well, I think it's cool that you're here," Alana Avery, the first child to be sorted, spoke up. "My sister always tells me about the rivalry between us and the Gryffs, and you being here will definitely make them mad!"

Lily wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Who's your sister?" she asked after a moment.

"Evelyn. She's the blonde sitting with Scorpius Malfoy," Alana answered. Lily recognized the older girl from the train, the one that her cousin had referred to as Avery.

"Is the rivalry really that bad?" Rose asked curiously. "I don't have any older siblings, so I haven't heard about it."

"Yeah, it is. No offense, Lily, but my sister tells me that your brothers are jerks. She says that the older Potter is stuck up and thinks he can do no wrong, and that everyone adores the younger one because he looks like your dad. They both really hate Slytherins, too."

Lily had never heard these things about her brothers before, and she hoped that they weren't true. Alana was obviously biased and would automatically believe what her older sister said. Then again, maybe Lily herself was biased, as she didn't want to think her brothers were deserving of any dislike. She hoped that their hatred of Slytherins wouldn't extend to her, now that she was one.

The red-haired girl was glad when Professor Shacklebolt stood up, and everyone quieted. She was more than happy to have a distraction. Still, it was hard to focus on his speech, especially since she already knew about all the statements he was making. She knew that the Forbidden Forest was forbidden, and she knew that Filch had a list of banned items. She also knew that nobody paid any attention to the list.

The Headmaster concluded his speech, and the food appeared on the tables. Lily decided to try to push away her conflicting feelings, and just enjoy the feast. The food was very excellent, just as everyone had always said it was. Lily was used to seeing a lot of food, since there were always family gatherings at the Burrow for holidays and birthdays. But this far exceeded even the huge meals offered at the Burrow.

Once everyone's hunger was somewhat sated, conversations started up again. A first year Slytherin girl with long dark hair regarded Lily with a coo expression on her face. "So, Potter, how do you feel about being in Slytherin?" the girl asked.

"Does it matter? I obviously belong here, so if you're asking me if I'm upset about not being in Gryffindor, then the answer is no. And call me Lily, not Potter," Lily responded. The girl gave her a scrutinizing look, and then nodded.

"Alright, then, Lily. I'm Melanie Flint," she introduced herself. She nudged the girl sitting next to her, who had golden hair and a bored expression on her face. "This is Ava Greengrass." Ava glanced at Lily, and then looked away without saying anything. Lily got the impression that Ava didn't think Lily was worth her time. How lovely.

"Don't mind Ava, she's just a bitch," a boy inputted cheerfully. He had dark skin, and brown eyes that were bright and lively.

"Sod off, Zabini," Ava snapped. The boy just smirked at her. Then he turned to Lily.

"I'm Gilbert Zabini. You've shaken things up, Lily," he said. He seemed excited by that fact. Then he turned to Rose. "I don't recognize you. Have any family in Slytherin?"

"No. My family is usually in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor," Rose answered. Lily was glad that she wasn't the only odd one out here.

"Great, so we've got two lions in the snake den this year," Ava sighed. Rose's dark blue eyes narrowed.

"I got sorted into Slytherin, didn't I? So I'm more snake than lion. I thought Lily just explained that, but I guess you're too stupid to understand the first time," Rose responded. Alana and Melanie looked at each other as though questioning what they should do. Lily assumed that Alana, Melanie and Ava had likely all grown up together, since they were from old Slytherin families. But Alana and Melanie didn't want to alienate Lily and Rose.

Ava scowled at Rose, and opened her mouth to retort. Before she could, Alana interrupted. "Hey, how about we don't all start arguing at dinner? Do you _want_ to make a bad impression on the older Slytherins?"

Ava rolled her eyes, but she didn't retaliate. Lily had a feeling this wasn't over, though. Still, at least 3 out of 4 of her dorm mates seemed alright with her. Lily could deal with just one problematic person. She hoped that Ava could actually give her a chance, since it would be an annoying seven years if she had an enemy in her own dorm.

Their dinner cleared away, and was replaced with dessert. Lily absentmindedly reached for mint chocolate chip ice cream, and almost smiled when she realized her favorite ice cream was green colored, just like her new House. She really did love the color green. It didn't clash with her red hair like the scarlet color of Gryffindor did.

After everyone had their fill of dessert, the treats all disappeared. Shacklebolt stood up, and everyone looked up at him. "Before you all go off to bed, I must ask you to partake in the Hogwarts tradition of singing the school song," he spoke.

With a flourish of his wand, the words appeared in the air for every student to see. Everyone began singing, and it was weird to hear so many different tunes and tempos for one song. Lily could hear James and Fred singing loudly and out of tune. Everyone finished singing, and the students started getting up. The fifth year Slytherin prefects approached the first years.

"First years, follow us. Try not to get lost," the boy prefect said. He set off at a quick pace, and the girl gave them a sympathetic look before matching his stride. The first years struggled to keep up. Lily wished she was taller. She had always been rather small and petite.

They entered the dungeons, and stopped in front of a wall. Lily wondered how they were to enter the common room. She knew for Gryffindor you entered through a portrait, but she didn't know anything about Slytherin's entrance.

"Salazar," the male prefect said. A passageway appeared, and the young students hesitantly followed the two prefects into the passageway. The passage wasn't all that long, and soon they caught their first glimpse of the common room. It seemed very grand, although it was a bit dark. The green lights were pretty, in Lily's opinion.

"Salazar? That's what you picked? A bit obvious isn't it?" the girl asked the boy.

The boy snorted and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Maribel, do you think the Gryffindors have got any better? Since Thomas is apparently the one who picked the password, it's probably something like Quidditch, or Potter."

"Well, I guess you're right. Besides, they don't know where our common room is located anyway," Maribel responded. She then turned to the first years. "Hi, everyone. I'm Maribel Hart, and this oaf here is Vince Goyle. We're your fifth year prefects."

"We'll try to make this quick, since I'm sure you're all tired. Look, I'll be honest, it won't be easy being a Slytherin. Everyone will automatically assume the worst of you, and you'll get so fed up with their attitudes that you'll give up on trying to prove them wrong. The Gryffindors especially hate us, thanks to Potter. If you've got older brothers or sisters in Slytherin, they're more likely to go after you to get back at your siblings."

Some of the first years glanced around at each other with uncertainty visible in their eyes. Maribel sighed. "We don't want to freak you out or anything. Slytherin is a great house to be in. We're cunning and ambitious, and those traits can help you go far in life. Never be ashamed of this house. We're just as capable of great things as all the other houses are. Also, you need to stick up for each other. It's us against all of them, so we need to at least try to present a united front. Even if you don't all like each other, you _will _defend each other." Maribel's tone of voice was such that nobody was prepared to argue. Lily glanced at Ava, and repressed a sigh. She supposed that meant she would need to defend that girl if it came down to it. She would, but she wondered if Ava would defend her in turn.

"Okay, that's all. If you've got questions, find one of us I guess. If you run into any trouble with Gryffindors, then definitely find us, or any upperclassmen," Vince told them seriously. "Anyway, boys are on the right, girls on the left. Okay, now scram."

"Wow, I'm really feeling the love," a boy said. Vince glared at him.

"Get out of here, Lukas. Go to bed," Vince ordered. Lukas stuck his tongue out at his brother, and then walked off towards the boy dormitories.

"You shouldn't be so mean to your little brother," Maribel scolded. She turned to another boy and smiled at him. "Doing okay, Riley?"

"Sure," Riley said with a shrug. A yawn escaped his lips.

"Well, then, off you go to bed," Maribel said. She ruffled his hair, and he gave her a half-hearted glare. He then followed the other first year boys.

Lily turned to the other girls, and the group of them went to the left like they were told. They found the room that belonged to them, and entered it. Her trunk was in front of the bed that was to the right of the door. She quickly changed into her pajamas, which consisted of a t-shirt that used to be Teddy's, and cotton shorts that were once James's. She saw that Rose also had casual pajamas, but the other three girls had nice silk pajamas. Ava looked at Lily's clothes and sneered. Lily decided it wasn't worth the effort to respond, so she got into her bed and pulled the curtains shut.

Despite the long day she'd had, Lily had trouble falling asleep. Her mind was racing as it tried to process everything that had happened. She couldn't believe that she was in Slytherin. Her whole life she had always thought she would be with the lions, not the snakes. It didn't sound like it would be easy being a Slytherin, either. She was worried what her family would think, and she hoped her parents wouldn't be mad or disappointed. She also wasn't happy that she already had to deal with a bully. Still, she thought that maybe she could succeed in Slytherin. Ambition was valued in this house, and it could help her rise out of the shadow of her parents, and of her siblings and cousins. She could stand out, and show the world that she was more than just Harry Potter's daughter.

With those thoughts in her mind, Lily was finally able to fall asleep.

**A/N: Next chapter is back to Gryffindor. Please review and tell me what you think! **


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